“O! Auspicious Parāśakti! When Your sacred feet are worshipped, that worship becomes equal to worshiping the three Gods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, the embodiments of Your three guṇa-s, who always stand close to Your gem decked foot pedestal by holding their hands above their heads.”

The Power of Parāśakti is explained through this verse. She is the absolute and independent power of Śiva. Śiva referred in this verse does not mean the Śiva, the Supreme. Śiva is known by the same name for His different independent acts. He is beyond all guṇa-s and Parāśakti enjoys only His Power. The independent and absolute Power of Śiva, the Supreme is known as Parāśakti and this Power of Śiva is known as svātantrya śakti, which can be explained the Free Will of Śiva.

Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva represent three guṇa-s sattva, rajas and tamas. (Many do not agree that Viṣṇu is an embodiment of rajo guṇa. In that case, He cannot look after the entire creation. Rajas means action). There are two nāma-s in Lalitā Sahasranāma (763. triguṇātmikā and 984. triguṇā) which confirm that She is the embodiment of the three guṇa-s.

Guṇa or qualities are of three types, sattvic, rajas and tamas. Guṇa-s belong to Prakṛti (Nature) and is the cause of opposites. Puruṣa (soul) in association with Prakṛti endowed with three guṇa-s cause creation. Guṇa-s belong to Her when She acts as Brahman with attributes. When She is the Brahman without attributes She is nirguṇa (without these guṇa-s, an exclusive quality of Śiva). This also goes to prove that She is in no way different from Śiva.

She is in the form of three guṇa-s or qualities viz sattvic, rajas and tamas. Sattva guṇa means the quality of purity and knowledge. The presence of other two guṇa-s is not very prominent in sattva guṇa as this guṇa is endowed with the highest purity. Rajo guṇa is the activity of passion. Tamo guṇa is inertia or ignorance. These two guṇa-s have higher traces of other guṇa-s. Guṇa-s are the inherent qualities of Prakṛti. Ego and intellect originate from guṇa-s that are present in all the evolutes of Prakṛti at once, but distributed in unequal proportions in each individual. The predominant guṇa that prevails in an individual is reflected through his thoughts and actions.

Kṛṣṇa explains guṇa-s in Bhagavad Gīta (IV.6 - 9) “Sattva, rajas and tamas - these three qualities born of prakṛti (Nature) tie down the imperishable soul to the body. Of these, sattva being immaculate is illuminating and flawless; it binds through identification with joy and wisdom. The quality of rajas, with is of the nature of passion, as born of avariciousness and attachment. It binds the soul through attachment to actions and their fruits. Tamas, the deluder of all those who look upon the body as their own self, are born of ignorance. It binds the soul through error, sloth and sleep. Sattva drives one to joy, and rajas to action, while tamas clouding the wisdom incites one to err as well as sleep and sloth.” Chapter of Bhagavad Gīta XIV extensively deals with guṇa-s. Kṛṣṇa again says (Bhagavad Gīta XIV.20) “Having transcended the aforesaid guṇa-s, which have caused the body, and freed from birth, death, old age and all kinds of sorrow, this soul attains the supreme bliss.”

This verse says when She is the embodiment of all the guṇa-s and from whom all the three guṇa-s originate. As discussed earlier, each of these guṇa-s is presided over by the three Gods Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. Therefore it is implied that Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva are only a part of Her Supremacy. When She is sitting on Her throne, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva stand near the pedestal on which She rests Her lotus feet, with their conjoined palms above their crowns, expressing their reverence. When they originate from Her, what is the purpose of worshipping them? Worshipping Her alone is worthy of worship, the primary cause of the entire creation.

Further reading: When one is initiated into ṣodaśī mantra, they are not supposed to worship the āvaraṇa devatas independently, including their mantra recitations. The only exception is while performing navāvaraṇa pūja, during which all the āvaraṇa devatas are worshipped before worshipping Her in the bindu. Even if they are initiated into other mantras, they should stop the recitation of all other mantras, after obtaining necessary permission from their Gurus. If this is not done, none of the mantras will fructify, including ṣodaśī mantra.

But there are prescribed methods for recitation in order to derive these benefits. These procedures are difficult to follow and hence, I have not mentioned them.

For this verse the following procedure is mentioned:

"Draw a triangle on a gold plate with sauṁ सौं inscribed in the middle. Three corners of the triangle should have tridents. This verse is to be recited 1000 times daily for 45 days with honey as offering."